The present invention relates to a stud punch, and in particular, to a battery-operated stud punch.
Presently, manual, or mechanical, stud punches are used by electricians and plumbers to punch holes in steel studs, allowing plumbing, wires, and/or other materials to be run through the studs. Such tools are bulky, expensive, and, in certain scenarios, are difficult to manipulate in confined areas where the studs may be located. For example, typical manual stud punches only allow a user to punch the studs from one direction, thereby limiting or inhibiting the amount of leverage the user may apply to the tool. As such, a manual stud punch typically is only used to punch a hole in a single stud. In addition, while using a manual stud punch, a user can typically only punch holes in twenty to twenty-five gauge steel studs. Typically, only the punch or the die moves when the user actuates the stud punch, requiring the stud to be oriented in one particular orientation.
Furthermore, manual stud punches require a large amount of strength and exertion from the user to punch holes in the studs. If the user is required to punch many holes in a single day or in a short period of time, the user may become susceptible to repetitive stress injury (RSI).